This invention relates to a tow-bar structure between a vehicle having a rear ramp door and a trailer. More particularly, this invention permits rotation of the rear ramp door between a closed position on the vehicle and an open position extending from the vehicle on the adapter during operations in the field.
Advancing military vehicles often tow trailers behind them to transport additional personnel, supplies, ordnance, and various other equipments needed in support of combat operations. Typically the trailers are directly connected to the vehicles via a lunette, (steel ring) on the trailer that engages a vertical post or ring-shaped pintle on the vehicle. While this connection works for many vehicles, it compromises effective utilization of rear ramp-door equipped tracked and wheeled fighting vehicles.
This is because the ramp doors of these fighting vehicles are intended to be completely rotated open to the ground to allow rapid egress of troops from the vehicle in response to a threat. As a result, many rear ramp door-equipped fighting vehicles do not tow trailers and, consequently, the towing capabilities of these vehicles are wasted. The additional items that may be needed for sustained successful operations must either be haphazardly hung from the exterior of the host vehicle, assuming their size permits, or brought along by other support vehicles. Unfortunately, these support vehicles are not normally configured with adequate armor protection to be in direct combat operations and are often separated from the more capable fighting vehicles during hostilities. Thus, the fighting force may not readily have the additional logistic items they may need, when they are critically needed.
Tracked fighting vehicles can be used to tow supply-laden trailers through noncombatant areas, as in convoy operations, for example. For some fighting vehicles, the trailer pintle is so close to the pivot axis of the rear ramp door that the rear ramp must be kept up and closed. This is because the ramp would contact the pintle and be jammed in the partially open position. Rapid troop egress through the rear ramp would again be compromised. Due to this reason, fighting vehicles do not normally employ trailers or even use any aspect of their tow pintle.
In some combat operations, troops may have to be transported considerable distances in the confining space of the closed vehicles and can suffer from claustrophobia, concentrated fumes, and heat fatigue that affect their combat readiness.
Thus, in accordance with this inventive concept, a need has been recognized in the state of the art for a tow bar adapter having a swiveling caster-wheel structure to extend the tow pintle of a combat vehicle sufficiently aft to allow unobstructed usage of the fighting vehicle's rear ramp door while simultaneously allowing towing of various military vehicles. This capability thus maintains the operational capability for the rapid egress of combat troops through the rear ramp of the vehicle while also providing a means to enhance their logistic support by having a trailer-in-tow.